The Circles End
by animagus pawz
Summary: James was murdered trying to save his family.Sirius fell protecting his best friend's son.Even Peter died repaying his life debt.So where does Remus Lupin fit in?Finally, the fourth maurader sacrifice is being told and remembered. DH Spoilers. ONESHOT


_**A/N: **__I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe. However, I like to use at least one long direct quote from J.K.'s books in order to give my stories context in the actual series. The quotes that are used in this story (and labeled as Harry's POV) can be found on pages 626 and 661of Deathly Hallows. _

_**HUGE DEATHLY HALLOWS SPOILERS!!!** Please enjoy!_

(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

The Circles End

It was clear, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione stepped back into the corridor upstairs, that in the minutes that they had spent in the Room of Requirement the situation within the castle had deteriorated severely: The walls and ceiling were shaking worse than ever; dust filled the air, and though the nearest window, Harry saw bursts of green and red light so close to the foot of the castle that he knew Death Eaters must be very near to entering the place. Looking down, Harry saw Grawp the giant meandering past; swinging what looked like a stone gargoyle torn from the roof roaring his displeasure.

"Let's hope he steps on some of them!" said Ron as more screams echoed from close by.

"As long as it's not any of our lot!" said a voice: Harry turned and saw Ginny and Tonks, both with their wands drawn at the next window, which was missing several panes. Even as he watched Ginny sent a well-aimed jinx into a crowd of fighters below.

"Good girl!" roared a figure running through the dust toward them, and Harry saw Aberforth again, his grey hair flying as he led a small group of students past. "They look like they might be breaching the North battlements; they've brought giants of their own!"

"Have you seen Remus?" Tonks called after him.

"He was dueling Dolohov," shouted Aberforth, "haven't seen him since!"

8888888888TONKS

Tonks didn't hear Ginny's reassuring words as she rushed after Aberforth for more information. She had to find Lupin.

Remus had told her to stay with Teddy and Andromeda but as far as Tonks was concerned Remus should have known she wouldn't stay behind just because it was safer. Staying safe wouldn't stop He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named and it wouldn't help Harry either. Besides, Remus worried too much.

Tonks headed straight for the north battlements where she knew they needed more help and would probably find Lupin or someone who knew where he was.

The ceiling trembled and inarticulate yells were coming from the giants outside. Red stunners lit up the faces of Death Eaters and Order members alike. Golden hexes glittered across the eyes of some seventh year students but Remus was not there.

Tonks ducked as a black, particularly nasty looking, hex came her way before sending a blue jet back at the faceless Death Eater. The spell hit the Death Eater in the right shoulder which sent him into a face first spin to the hard ground.

Mr. Weasley appeared among all the flying spells and Tonks hurried to his side.

"Where's Remus?" she asked Arthur.

"Over there," said Mr. Weasley as he pointed to the left with his wand-free hand. Someone yelled "one, two, three," and Mr. Weasley along with many other Order members shot stunners at an opposing giant in an attempt to slow him down. All twenty or so spells seemed to have no affect.

"Thanks," said Tonks who made to leave but was called back by Mr. Weasley.

"Have you seen Fred?" asked Mr. Weasley. "He ran off with Percy after a hooded Death Eater who managed to break through all the enchantments.

"Protego!" shouted Tonks as a streak of green light came at her and Arthur. The barrier deflected the spell and Tonks saw Bellatrix's smile fade in the distance.

_You won't be the end of me,_ thought Tonks.

"Have you seen him?" asked Arthur again. "George says that he got a pretty good look at the Death Eater and he thinks that it was Thicknesse."

"Sorry Arthur," replied Tonks as a red light bounced off the barrier.

Tonks took down the barrier with a flick of her wrist so she could make her way over to where Remus was supposed to be.

"I haven't seen either of the twins, sorry," she apologized again. Arthur's face fell slightly as Tonks hurried away.

There was a green flash to Tonks's left and seconds later Dolohov emerged as the second Death Eater who had been successful in penetrating all the castle's defenses. He ran past Tonks, not seeing her, and entered the Hogwarts castle.

Fear and worry gripped Tonks. Remus would never let an opponent go; he would never surrender.

Then she saw him: face upturned, eyes open, wand in hand, lying on the ground. He was lifeless yet the color had not drained from his face.

"Remus!" she shouted even though she knew that he couldn't hear her. He would never hear her again and what was worse: she would never hear or see him again.

It had been only a couple of seconds. Only two seconds ago he had been standing and fighting. Tonks was sure of it. She ran over to him and knelt down, pulling his warm, heavy body into his lap and holding his face – forgetting where she was.

He had just stopped breathing. Two second ago he had been breathing and shouting hexes. Tonks was sure of it.

So why was it already too late to save him? Why was it already too late to look into his eyes and be seen?

"Remus," she said softly. Tonks's voice shook and her wand trembled in her hand. She felt cold – colder than Remus was now.

His face was perfect; as if he was only sleeping. No bruises. No scars. But his eyes – his beautiful amber eyes – were wide open and unseeing.

"I'm here, Remus, I'm here," said Tonks. Lupin, for all the life that still appeared to be in him, did not move.

Tonks felt a surge of anger and grief as she laid Remus's body back on the ground and stood up. She started walking toward where she had last seen Dolohov enter Hogwarts but never crossed the threshold.

A perfectly aimed black jinx hit her shoulder blade and sent her body twisting to the ground. Bellatrix's gleeful cry filled the air as Tonks's muscles slowly tightened. This jinx didn't kill instantly like_ Avada Kedavra_. This curse made your muscles tighten slowly until you couldn't breathe anymore. Bellatrix had wanted Tonks to suffer but she had made one rather large flaw in her calculations: When Tonks's body had hit the ground her head faced Remus. He lay only a couple yards away now.

Bellatrix screamed out her triumph and mocked her niece vehemently but Tonks heard none of it.

_Breathe,_ she told herself. _Just keep breathing…for Remus…and Teddy…just keep breathing._

Then everything became terribly still and Tonks's muscles finally went limp.

8888888888HARRY

The castle was unnaturally silent. There were no flashes of light now, no bangs or screams or shouts.

Ron led the way to the Great Hall. Harry stopped in the doorway.

The dead lay in a row in the middle of the Hall. Harry could not see Fred's body because his family surrounded him. George was kneeling at his head; Mrs. Weasley lying across Fred's chest, her body shaking, Mr. Weasley stroking her hair while tears cascaded down her his cheeks.

Harry had a clear view of the bodies lying next to Fred: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling.

8888888888TONKS

Tonks looked into Remus's eyes. His body was still all the way across the grounds before everything slowly faded from sight.

All Tonks heard was Lupin's calm, steady voice in her head.

"It's alright, 'Dora," he said, "Everything's alright."

Then Tonks saw Remus again, not yards away, but right next to her. And his eyes – his beautiful amber eyes – saw.

_**Thanks to Russet022 who first imagined Remus's eye color and inspired me to give Remus a "beautiful" death (such as the ones James and Sirius got) because he most certainly deserved one.**_

_**A/N: **__As a Huffelpuff I have a loyalty to my reviewers and I promise to read and review at least one of your stories in return for reviewing any one of mine (assuming I know the characters in the story)._

_**Additional Stories:**_

_Lightning Struck Tower – Pro Severus Snape, Pre Deathly Hallows, not complete_

_Behind the Veil: The Choice to Die (my favorite) – Sirius fic, oneshot, complete_


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